The assessment of sexual function and marital interaction

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sexology
• Marital Therapy

Background:

• Growing demand for validated psychological measures of sexual behavior and adjustment.
• Limited existing data on assessing human sexual functioning comprehensively.
• Need for reliable instruments for both individual and dyadic assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present psychometric data on scales measuring aspects of human sexual activity and marital interaction.
• To aid clinicians and researchers in selecting appropriate assessment tools.
• To provide a preliminary guide for evaluating the applicability of sexual functioning scales.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of existing psychometric data for sexual functioning scales.
• Alphabetical arrangement of scales by the first author's name.
• Focus on instruments assessing individuals or dyads, primarily in heterosexual contexts.

Main Results:

• Compilation of psychometric characteristics for various sexual functioning assessment scales.
• Identification of scales suitable for measuring sexual activity and marital adjustment.
• Data presented to facilitate preliminary judgments on instrument applicability.

Conclusions:

• The article provides essential psychometric information on scales for sexual functioning assessment.
• It addresses the critical need for reliable and valid psychological measures in this field.
• Researchers and clinicians can use this review to inform their choice of assessment instruments.